HALIFAX, N.C., March 10 (UPI) -- About 62 people were injured in Halifax, N.C., when an Amtrak train derailed after colliding with a truck that was being escorted by the highway patrol at a railroad crossing.
The collision happened about noon Monday. Halifax Regional Medical Center treated 62 people with non-life-threatening injuries. There were 212 passengers and eight crew members aboard the train.
The truck driver was not injured. He was driving a tractor-trailer carrying a small building. The train slammed into the truck's load.
"We are relieved that there are no fatalities reported at this time, and our thoughts and prayers are with those who were injured," North Carolina Transportation Secretary Tony Tata said.
The train was headed to New York City with stops including Philadelphia. Amtrak announced that it would transport the train's passengers to their destinations via chartered buses.
It was unclear how fast the Amtrak train was going, but the speed limit in that area for trains is 70 mph. The Federal Railroad Administration is investigating the collision.
Between 2005 and 2014 in North Carolina, there has been an average of about one train collision per week.
